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Statistics show that driving a car can be one of the most dangerous of the day for many Americans. Most drivers believe that driving on a snowy afternoon in January is the most dangerous time to drive. That's not even close to the correct month. The most dangerous month for driving is August. Saturday is the most dangerous day of the week, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Auto accidents kill approximately 40,000 people in the U.S. each year. Car accidents are the No. 1 cause of death for individuals between the ages of 1 and 35.

It is estimated that accidents occur every second in the United States. Approximately 120 people per day die as the result of a car crash. That's any alarming high rate. Let's compare that with the airlines. Perhaps, you have a plane that seats 100 passengers. What if you had one plane crash daily with a 100 passengers killed in each occurrence? What would the FAA do? Certainly, not allow this to continue to happen. Why doesn't the same happen with automobile accidents?

Studies showed that in 2008, the month of August had 3,612 deaths from automobile accidents. In January of the same year there were 2,818 deaths from car crashes. What was the variable for the 800 person difference? Let's look at the possible reasons. The differences can be due to the time day, distracted drivers or negligent and unsafe road behavior.

Speeding is a major contributing factor in over 30% of all fatal car crashes. Only 18% of fatal automobile crashes during the day are alcohol-related. Alarming, is that over 54% of crashes at night are alcohol-related crashes. More than two-thirds of the people killed at night are not wearing a seat belt. Statistics show that across the nation almost half of fatal crashes happen at night. This fatality rate is almost triple at nighttime verses the daylight hours.

Let's look at what happens on the weekends. More people are out and about on the road, resulting in –the highest numbers of automobile crashes. As a Chicago injury lawyer, I have found understand that the majority of crashes are caused by human error. In many instances, drivers have a false sense of their own driving abilities and skill level. Many drivers believe that they can multitask while driving. That's not the best idea. The number of car accidents resulting from distracted drivers is growing/ at a staggering rate. The seat belt remains the most efficient safety devise in an automobile. Wearing it greatly reduces the chances of suffering serious injuries or death from a car accident.

Another excellent safety measure is to drive at the appropriate speed for the weather conditions and paying attention to the road. Believe it or not, most drivers neglect to obey these safety standards. According to AAA, over 80 of drivers say distracted driving is a serious problem. Over 50% of drivers reported that they talk on a cellphone while driving. Another 14% reported that they read or send text messages while driving. Over 20% of drivers have reported that they have driven 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on the highway. Another 14% said that they sometimes have driven over the speed limit on a quiet neighborhood street.

Source: August the highest month for car crashes, Forbes.com, August 11, 20111ighest Month for Car Crashes